Exeter City manager Matt Taylor could not hide his frustration as defensive errors and profligate finishing cost his side the chance of victory against Crawley Town.

After an insipid start from the home side, two goals in seven minutes from Filipe Morais and Reece Grego-Cox saw the Grecians fall 2-0 behind before they finally woke from their slumber and started to play.

The Grecians missed some clear chances before reducing the arrears through Ryan Bowman five minutes after the break, but another error led to a breakaway third on the hour mark from which the Grecians never recovered.

“I am not happy with the result. We gave them the first goal in terms of a mistake,” Taylor fumed.

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“Some of those players have been outstanding for us this season, but Jake (Taylor) has made a mistake – it’s an honest mistake – we haven’t reacted off the back of that and we needed to settle ourselves down.

“The second goal is the most disappointing one for me because it is a direct ball into our backline, it broke out wide and then it’s a delivery into our box and then finished off.

“For the ten minutes before and after half-time, I can’t understand how we didn’t score more than one goal in that period. But I said in the week that we have to score the easy goals, the tap-ins – we can’t miss open goals.

“We have to work the keeper more than we did. I gave them a clear structure after half-time and they believed in it and carried it out, we were excellent and could have scored more than one goal in that period.

“Then we make another mistake when in possession and we didn’t defend the counter-attack well enough and it’s another mountain for us to climb.

“I believed we could still do it, but panic set in and the players started doing their own thing and didn’t stick to the plan.”

Exeter City captain Jake Taylor and defender Troy Brown look dejected after losing during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Exeter City and Crawley Town at St James Park, Exeter, Devon on April 19. - PHOTO: Cameron Geran/PPAUK

The Grecians have shown a vulnerability when conceding this season, something the City boss is clearly unhappy about.

He has spoken far too frequently about conceding soft goals this season and a weakness in his backline, but his attackers didn’t escape his wrath either for their profligacy against a Crawley side that arrived in Devon with the worst away record in League Two.

Last week, Hiram Boateng scored a stunning goal of the season contender. He admits himself he needs to score more goals, but he was one of several players to miss a gilt-edged chance for the Grecians, which were ultimately so costly.

“Goals affects this group of players and I have to be honest, there’s a weakness about us because the first goal affects us and we go into our shell and start doing the wrong things,” Taylor added.

“As much as you can try and help them from the side of the pitch, the players have to stand up and take responsibility.

“We are never always going to be in the lead at home, but we made that mistake (for the first goal) the group needed to come together after that, we didn’t do that and we paid the price for it.

“I give my defence enough stick, but you can’t miss chances like that at the other end of the pitch. We were creating them time and time again and that’s the most disappointing thing.

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“Like I’ve said, I talk enough about our defenders and our weaknesses at times, we made two mistakes out there in terms of the first and third goals, but the rest of the group have to take responsibility.

“If you are on the pitch to score goals, score the easy goals as well. We all talk about the goal last week and the goal of the season campaign, but you want numbers and stats to back yourself up as a player.”

Taylor added: “That game was there for us. Mistakes happen in football, but we were more than good enough to get back into that game and they believed in it for a short period of time.

“The moment the goals were conceded, it affected them and they came off the script. That group in there have to learn what it takes to win games of football.”